


Creativity Is Intelligence Having Fun

by FalconHorus



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Presents, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 04:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8954530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalconHorus/pseuds/FalconHorus
Summary: When creating gifts for the holidays, the expedition members are resourceful and Major Evan Lorne is no exception.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Gift fic for Lizs24 for the Secret Santa Challenge of 2016.  
> Title is a quote by Albert Einstein.  
> Beta done by squidgiepdx.

Major Evan Lorne sat in the corner of the cafeteria, near the large pine tree Parrish had dragged through the gate just two days earlier. He had called it the perfect specimen to be this year's Atlantis'  perfect Christmas tree. Doctor Elizabeth Weir hadn’t been too thrilled they had unearthed the tree, but Parrish had sworn the locals had made no objections. In fact, he had pointed out; the locals had come to their aid uprooting it from its spot near one of their farmhouses because it appeared to be in the way of a new barn they wanted to build. If that were true, then the tree would have been cut down anyway. Evan was more inclined to believe that Parrish was bending the truth a little, but he was not going to complain. The tree was indeed a beautiful one.

The moment it had arrived in the city, and put in its central place, the residents had gathered to decorate it with an assortment of ornaments. Most of these were made from local materials such as test tubes, paper figures, figures out of wood crafted by the Athosians. Though whoever had come up with the idea to put post-it's, with wishes written on them, in, took the award for best decoration as far as Evan was concerned. The way things went on a daily basis, it was good to know that happiness was still very much alive and kicking. It made the tree look like a rainbow had thrown up all over it, but it was the thought which counted, not the despicable chaos of colors. Whatever the case, it had to be said, the expedition members were quite resourceful at times.

Evan shifted in his seat, his sketchbook resting on the table in front of him. His gaze shifted from the tree to Doctor Carson Beckett. He couldn't resist a little smile as Carson handed Teyla a Christmas sweater which looked to be two sizes too large for her, and soon a red-nosed reindeer was staring back at him. He opened his jacket, revealing the exact same red-nosed reindeer staring right back at her. She started laughing and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. Evan guessed Carson’s mother had been busy knitting him that sweater the year before and had gifted him another one this year. If his mother continued that tradition, more people would be wearing sweaters with reindeer the coming Christmases. Evan briefly wondered how Doctor Rodney McKay would feel about wearing a Christmas-themed sweater, and couldn't help but chuckle when he visualized the look on the scientist's face. No way, Rodney would want to wear it but he probably would anyway, just to show Carson he was a good friend. It would certainly make Colonel John Sheppard's day; of that Evan was sure.

He shifted his sketchbook so he had a better angle to draw. He'd been working on some little things in the past few weeks and slowly he had come to realize that he had, without even thinking too much about it, created little treats for his friends. The expedition was as diverse as they could come, but in the end, they were all one big family, dysfunctional at best, but a family nonetheless.

Evan sank a little lower into his chair, set his pencil onto the paper and started sketching out the scene in front of him. Soon he was lost in his artwork and everything around him disappeared into a blur and background noise.

\--||--

Teyla Emmagan had been awake earlier than usual. It had been a late night, but it had to be said, the expedition being excited about their holidays, had surely rubbed off on her too. Athosians celebrated a similar feast to Christmas but with the move to another planet, that day had also shifted to a different time in the planet's year. The people from Earth held onto their calendar days, though little by little they were incorporating the seasons of the planet Atlantis was situated on. Nevertheless, Christmas Eve was on December 24th and Christmas Day on December 25th, and so it was that she was up early on the latter. Carson had told her about how children on Earth would get up at the earliest of times, so that they could be the first to open their presents the fastest. She had dropped her small packages off the night before, hoping they'd still be in the same place underneath the tree as where she had left them. Plenty other gifts would no doubt have already joined her small ones.

She made her way down to the cafeteria and caught Evan entering with a large pile of rolled up papers. He was struggling a little to keep them all in his arms, but one slipped loose and fell to the floor. The neatly wrapped bow springing loose in the process. Teyla hurried forward to help him pick it up. She collected the paper and was immediately in awe of what was on it. It was drawing of the resident psychologist, one of her best friends, sipping tea on the balcony, staring out over the ocean.

“This is beautiful,” Teyla smiled, rolling the drawing back up and neatly tying the bow around it. “I'm sure she's going to love it.”

“I hope so,” Evan accepted the rolled up paper and hurried towards the tree, putting down his load, making sure none of the drawings could be crushed by any of the other gifts.

\--||--

Later that same day, Evan sat in his usual spot, watching the people around him. The cafeteria was filled with nearly the entire expedition, bar the skeleton crew who voluntarily chose to be on duty. Some of them didn't celebrate Christmas as a holiday, and others just simply voluntarily gave up their free time to step in for those who really wanted to celebrate. It was a harmoniously, well-oiled machine. They weren't being forgotten, though, as they each received part of the Christmas dinner and a small glass of Athosian Ale if so desired.

His gifts had been distributed, and he was satisfied to know that they had all been received with oh's and ah's. He would have to start drawing far sooner come next Christmas so as to stuff even more proverbial Atlantis stockings.

He had received several gifts in return, and the one he was most surprised about was the homemade snowglobe Doctor Radek Zelenka had gifted him. He had created a miniature version of Atlantis, using the engineers 3D-printer no doubt, glued it to the bottom of the cover of a peanut-butter jar. Filled the jar with water and small bits of fake, plastic snow, and glued the cover back on. It was an ingenious idea. He had made several, every one of them with a different theme suiting the person it was meant for.

Maybe next Christmas they could work together. He could paint the backgrounds, and Radek could do the snowglobe. The idea lingered as Evan enjoyed the rest of the dinner and evening, with his friends and colleagues.

 


End file.
